Ilex plant named ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Ilex glabra  cultivar named ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ is disclosed, characterized by dark green foliage. Plants are dwarf and compact, forming dense mounds, with foliage growth to the ground. The new cultivar is an  Ilex glabra , suitable for ornamental garden purposes.

Latin name of the genus and species: Ilex glabra.

Variety denomination: ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program by theinventor. The new variety, hereinafter referred to as ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’was selected from an open-pollination breeding program conducted during2007. The seed parent is Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’, unpatented. The pollenparent is unidentified. The novel variety was discovered in a commercialnursery in Warwick, Md. during 2008.

After identifying the new variety as a potentially interestingselection, first asexual propagation of ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ occurred bysoftwood cuttings at a commercial nursery in Warwick, Md. in June 2009.The inventor continued controlled testing and asexual propagation,assessing stability of the unique characteristics of this variety. Eightgenerations have been asexually reproduced and have shown that theunique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The followingtraits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the uniquecharacteristics of ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ as a new and distinct Ilexglabra cultivar:

-   -   1. Dwarf, compact plant habit.    -   2. Dark foliage.    -   3. No blight issues observed, plant may be resistant to        Phytophthora ilicis and/or other foliar pathogens of Ilex.    -   4. Foliage covers the plant attractively all the way to the        ground.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ can be compared to the commercial variety Ilex glabra‘SMNIGAB17’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,554. The varieties are similar inmost horticultural characteristics, however, plants of‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ differ in the following ways:

-   -   1. New cultivar has larger leaves than this comparator.    -   2. New cultivar has dark green foliage; comparator has red tips        during spring flush.

PARENTAL COMPARISON

‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ can be compared to the parent Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’.The varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics,however, plants of ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ differ in the following ways:

-   -   1. New cultivar is of smaller stature; parent is taller by about        3 feet.    -   2. The seed parent may lose foliage near the ground, which is        not regenerated, leaving the base of the plant bare.    -   3. The new variety has a more mounding plant habit, the seed        parent is more upright.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color atypical plant of ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ grown outdoors in Grand Haven, Mich.Plants in FIG. 1 are approximately 3 years old, and exhibit thecharacteristic full, compact and mounded growth.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the foliage.

The photographs were taken using conventional techniques and althoughcolors may appear different from actual colors due to light reflectanceit is as accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart 2015 except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ plants grown in a polygreenhouse during Summer, in Grand Haven, Mich. USA. The growingtemperature ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. during the day and from 5° C.to 10° C. during the night. General light conditions are naturalsunlight. Measurements and numerical values represent averages oftypical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Ilex glabra ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’.

PROPAGATION

-   Typical method: Softwood cuttings.-   Time to initiate rooting: 30 days during summer; 45 days during    winter.-   Time to produce a rooted young plant: 150 days during summer; 5    months during winter.-   Root description: Dense and fibrous roots present. Freely branching,    medium thickness, dark colored.

PLANT

-   Age of plant described: 2 to 3 years.-   Container size of plant described: 3 gallon.-   Growth habit: Perennial shrub, compact and mounded.-   Height: 19 cm.-   Plant spread: 43 cm.-   Typical growth rate: Good.-   Branching characteristics: Many branches forming a dense, round    plant.-   Angle: About 45°, outward and upward.-   Quantity of lateral branches: 10.-   Length of lateral branches: 23 cm.-   Diameter of lateral branches: 4 mm.-   Lateral branch shape: Round.-   Stem strength: Strong.-   Stem color:    -   -   New wood.—Yellow green 144C.        -   Old wood.—Greyed-brown 199A.-   Internode length: 12 mm.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Shape of blade.—Elliptic.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margin.—Mostly entire, more sinuate near tip.        -   Length.—3.35 cm.        -   Width.—1.5 cm.        -   Texture of top surface.—Very smooth and soft.        -   Texture of bottom surface.—Smooth, kind of dry.        -   Foliage color.—Young leaves, upper side: Green 139A. Young            leaves, under side: Green 138B. Mature leaves, upper side:            Green 139A. Mature leaves, under side: Green 138B.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Fragrance.—Not observed.        -   Petiole.—Texture, upper side: Smooth, some pubescence.            Texture, under side: Smooth, some pubescence. Color, upper            side: Green 138D. Color, under side: Green 138D.

FLOWER

-   Flowering not observed.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Disease and pest resistance: Neither resistance nor susceptibility    observed.-   Drought tolerance: No tolerance for drought.-   Temperature tolerance: −32 to 36 C.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ilex glabra plantnamed ‘ILEXFARROWTRACEY’ as herein illustrated and described.